Automatically-locking switch-stand



L. B. MARTIN.

AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION F ILED MAR. 24, 1920.

Patented Aug. 3, 1920.

A B/Variz)? UNITED STATES- OFFICE.

LUTHER 'B. MARTIQN, or BExroRD, MONTANA.

AUTOMATICALLY-LOCKING S XNIT(LIEI-S'IIIAND.

To all whom it may concern Be it knownthat I, LUTI-IERPB. MARTIN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bexford, in thecountyofLincoln and State of Montana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automatically- Locking Switch-Stands, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

This' invention relates toswitch stands,

and particularly to the locking mechanism thereof.

At the present time the great majority of switch stands are of that typein which the mast on shaft operating the switch extends verticallythrough a table, and is provided with a radially extending handle forturning the mast, this handle being formed in two sections and the tablebeing notched so'that when the switch has been fully thrown in onedirection or the other, the

hinged section of the handle may be dropped into a-vertical position ina notch and thus look the switch from further movement. In order to holdthe handles in their depressed positions, a padlock is today used in thegreat majority of cases. The use of a padlock is open to a great deal ofobjection. It makes i'tnecessary to manipulate the lock in order tomanipulate the switch each time that theswitch is thrown. This padlockis carried by admin and the hasp of the padlock must be passed throughan eye projec'ting through the handle when the handle isin'its verticalposition. As a consequence of this, trainmen quite often leave theswitch unlocked because they have not time to pass the padlock throughthe eye and lock it. This is particularly true when a train is leaving ayard or siding, as it is usually going at a fast speed and the trainmanis in a hurry to catch the rear end of his. train and has not time tofumble with the lock, pass the hasp through the eye and lock it. Thusthe switch is left unlocked and as a consequence may be meddled with orthrown by tramps, children or other mischievous parties, with resultingaccident.

The'general object of my invention is to provide, therefore, a lockwhich does not which will latch automatically when the Specification ofLetters Patent. 'Patented A g; 3,1920. Application. filed March 24,1920. Serial No. 368,302. I

handle isbrought down to its vertical position with n the proper notchin the table. 7

And afurther object is to provide means whereby the lock may be thrownout of its operative position and held out of its' operative"positionwhere the switch is being used in yards, for instance, whereswitching must be done frequently.

A further object is to provide a lock of an improved construction forthis purpose which is very simple and which can not be removed ortampered with when the switch stand is locked and in which theprojecting portion of the bolt is entirely protected so that a knifecannot be slipped in and the bolt pushed back.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure1 is a front elevation of a switch stand having a lock therein inaccordance with my invention L Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 ofFig. 1;

*ig. 3 is afaee view of the lock with the front plate removed, theconnecting pins and the'key being in section Fig. 4 is a transversesectional view of the handle showing the lock casing in elevation and aportion of the adjacent table 10.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated aswitch stand of the ordinary type comprising the table 10 havingoppositely disposed notches 11 and supported on the legs 12, flanged attheir lower ends to rest on ties 13 and provided with a transverse brace14. Through this brace and through the table passes a vertical mast 15carrying a target 16 at its upper end, and cranked at its lower end forengagement with the switch rod 17. All of these parts are old and wellknown. Mounted to rotate with the mast is a collar 18 or block which isrelatively thick and heavy and which is positively connected to the mastto rotate therewith. Thus the collar are overturned so that the pintlecannot be withdrawn. The pivotal axis for this pin- I with a relativelytriangular body 23, this body beingpivoted at itslower end upon a pin orbolt 24,- the bolt 22 extending out through an opening in the edge faceof the lock casing, and the bolt being .formed with shoulders 25limiting its outward projection.

The body 23 of the bolt on. its upper. face is formed with an upwardlyextending shoulder 26 adapted to be engaged by the bit of a key 27insertible through a suitable keyhole. This key is a hollow key and r0-tates on a pin 28 projecting from the lock casing. The bolt is guided byforming the body 23 with an arcuate slot 29 through which a pin 30passes. The bolt is projected by means of a coiled spring 31. Thisspring surrounds telescopic members 32 and 33, one of which is formedwith a bifurcated head 34 at its upper end pivoted to the body 23, andthe other member 32 being pivotally mounted at its lower. end, as at 34,upon the lock casing. This spring, therefore, acts to urge the bolt to aprojected position, and when the bit 27 isrotated in a clockwisedirection, it will retract the bolt against the action of this spring.In order to hold the bolt in a retracted position and, therefore,

out of operative position for any desired length of time, I form thelower end of the body 23 below the pivot 24 with a tooth 35, and mountbelow the lower end of the bolt body a latch 36 pivoted, at 37, andformed to engage behind this tooth. The other end of the latch extendsout of a slot in the lock casing and is provided with a head 38 where bythe detent end of the latch may be raised into engagement with the bolt.A stop block or equivalent device 39 prevents the too great depressionof the latch or detent.

The inside face of one wall of each notch 11 is recessed, as at 40, toreceive the extremity of the bolt 22, and it will be noted from Fig. 4that this recess does not extend the full depth of the table 10, that isfrom top to bottom of the wall of the notch 11, but only partially alongthis wall so that when the bolt is projected into engagement with thisrecess, the bolt cannot be forced back by the insertion of a knife bladeor like device. The end of the bolt is beveled or inclined so that itwill slip past the corner of the recess 11 and be pushed back until thebolt has arrived opposite the recess 40, when the bolt will springoutward. When the bolt has once sprungoutward, it cannot be retractedsave by using the key. 27. The cornerof that wall of the notch havingthe recess 40 may likewise be beveled or disposed at an inclination sothat as the handle is turned downward, the beveled edge of the bolt willbear square against the corner so as to cause the pushing back of thebolt without any binding action. This is not absolutely necessary,however, because the handle is nearly in a vertical position when thebolt strikes the corner of the stand. 5

' It will be seen that-with this construction there is no'necessit ofthe switchman stopping to insert the pa lock, which is often difficultto do, particularly at night, or where the trainman is wearing heavymittens, and which is difficult to do in a hurry, and that it is notnecessary for the trainman to hold the key in the lock until the switchis locked and then remove the key, but that it is only necessary toshift the handle 19 into a vertical position in the proper notchand theswitch automatically locks, and that when it is once 'locked, it cannotbe shifted unless by an operator having a key, whereby the lock may bereleased. Thus this Switch ma be locked at night without delayandwithout having to fumble to insert a key to lock the switch or removea key or insert a shank 'the lock is to a very large extent protected bybeing disposed within the notch of the switch stand and-being disposedwithin a recess in the handle so that there are no pro jecting portionsof the lock case which will .permit the lock to be opened or broken bypounding with a stone or stick. \Vhere it is necessary, as in yards,that a switch be used a number of times'insuccession, the latch 36permits the bolt to be heldretracted for as long as necessary and untilthe switching operation has been ended, when the latch may be releasedand the bolt will then operate in the usual manner. 7

WVhile I have illustrated a construction which is thoroughly effectivefor the purpose intended, yet it is obvious that minor changes might bemade in the device without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims. I

I claim V r 1. The. combination with a switchstand having a notchedtable, a rotative mast, a handle member carried by the mast and r0-tating therewith and resting on the table, and a handlesection hinged tothe said member and adapted to be depressed into the notches of thetable, of a lock casing carried to inclose the padlock. Inasmuch as theby the handle section and having an opening in one edge wall, a bodypivoted at one end in said casing and having a bolt at its end oppositethe pivot and projecting through said opening, the upper end of the bodybeing formed with a shoulder adapted to register with a keyhole wherebya key may be inserted to engage said shoulder and retract the body andbolt, a spring engaging the free end of said body and urging the boltoutward, said body having means for limiting its outward and inwardmovements.

2. The combination with a switch stand having a notched table, arotative mast, a handle member carried by the mast and rotatingtherewith and resting on the table, and a handle section hinged to thesaid member and adapted to be depressed into the notch of the table, ofa lock casing carried by said handle section and having an opening inone edge wall, a triangular-shaped body pivoted at its lower end in saidcasing and having an integral bolt at its upper end projecting throughsaid opening, the upper end of the body being formed with a shoulderadapted to register with a keyhole whereby a key may be inserted toengage said shoulder and retract the bolt, a spring engaging the freeend of said body and urglng the bolt outward, said body having means forlimiting its outward and inward movements.

3. The combination with a switch stand having a notched table, arotative mast, a handle member carried by the mast and rotatingtherewith and resting on the table, and a handle section hinged to thesaid member and adapted to be depressed into the notch of the table, ofa lock casing carried by said handle section and having an opening inone edge wall, a triangular shaped body pivoted at its lower end in saidcasing and having an integral bolt at its upper end projecting throughsaid openin the upper end of the body being formed with a shoulderadapted to register with a keyhole whereby a key may be inserted to ensgage said shoulder and retract the bolt, a spring engaging the free endof said body and urging the bolt outward, said bolt having means forlimiting its outward and inward movements, the lower end of said pivotedbolt carrying body being formed with a tooth, and a detent shiftableinto or out of position to engage said tooth and prevent the projectionof the bolt, said detent having a finger piece extending to the exteriorof the casing whereby the detent may be manipulated.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

LUTHER B. MARTIN.

